1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to dog leashes, and more particularly to a double dog leash which makes it possible for a single individual to concurrently control two dogs despite differences in their size and strength.
2. Status of Prior Art
A dog leash is a chain, a rope or a strap that is attachable to the collar or harness of a dog, the leash serving to lead the dog or to hold it in check. My prior Sporn U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,964,369; 5,329,885, 5,370,083 and 5,471,953, all disclose dog harnesses to which a leash is attachable, these harnesses being responsive to any strain on the leash to cause the dog to come to a halt.
Many cities in the United States have so called "leash laws" which make it illegal to permit a dog to run free outdoors without the restraint of a leash. When a family has a single dog, the need to leash this dog presents no problem. But quite a few families today have two dogs that differ in size and strength. Thus it is not uncommon for a family to have a large and strong watch dog whose main function is to guard the family, and a smaller and less powerful dog serving as a pet for the youngest child in the family.
Yet when these two dogs are taken outdoors for exercise or for other purposes, then both dogs must be leashed. This presents a problem when, as is often the case, a single individual is put in charge of both dogs. It is then necessary to provide each dog with a leash having a length appropriate to the size of the dog.
The single individual handling both dogs must grasp the handles of these two leashes, preferably in one hand, for then the two leashed dogs will be close to each other and not seek to run in different directions, as they might try doing had the leashes been held in separate hands.
When the two leashed dogs differ in strength to a significant degree, and their separate leash handles are held in one hand of the individual walking these dogs, should the stronger dog suddenly lurch ahead, in doing so its leash handle may be pulled out of the individual's hand, and the stronger dog will then be free to run away.
Thus a need exists for a double dog leash having a single handle that serves to control two dogs of different size and strength. A need also exists for a single handle multiple leash capable of concurrently controlling three or more dogs. In many cities in which multi-story apartment buildings house a multitude of dogs, it is now the practice to engage professional handlers to walk these dogs daily "en masse". Thus the handler may find himself holding in one hand the leash handles of three dogs, and holding in his other hand the leash handles of four dogs.
When this gang of dogs is well behaved, the handler then has no problem in walking them. But should one of the dogs act up, it may succeed in pulling away from the handler who does not have a firm grip on the several leash handles.